The Thrill of Fresh Birds
It was a cloudy October afternoon as I made my 600 km journey across the central flyway to duck camp. The outfitter’s lodge was nestled among the aspen and agriculture, a short drive south of the boreal forest. Hunting this far north is a novelty to me, partly because of the new scenery, but mostly because the birds here haven’t yet seen a decoy spread on their southbound migration. Fresh birds! Here’s my story of an epic western Canadian waterfowling adventure.
In addition to being a waterfowl hotspot, the hunt promised to be special for other reasons too. I was hunting with the folks from Federal Ammunition, Hevi-Shot and Remington. They brought a smorgasbord of shotgun ammunition, including tungsten loads, new bismuth offerings, plus tried-and-true Federal Blackcloud shotshells for a real-world side-by-side comparison.
A PARKLAND LANDSCAPE
My virtual pre-hunt scouting showed me open fields ringed with aspen. Small and large wetlands dot this parkland landscape in an ideal habitat matrix for weary waterfowl feeding and resting between stops on their migration. Driving across prairies always fuels my enthusiasm for the hunt. This day, the skies, fields, and wetlands were awash with ducks, geese and cranes in some places and devoid in others.
I took mental notes and offered this intel to Clay Charlton, owner and guide at Take-Em Outfitter in Alberta. He perked up. “A bunch of those birds were here last week, and they took off. Then there was a bit of a lull before you showed up, but the numbers are building again. With this low-pressure system over the next few days, I’m sure we’ll see a lot more birds from the north,” Clay assured me.
THE THRILLS OF THE HUNT
Duck camp is always a great time to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones, so the first evening was spent socializing, dining and prepping for the morning hunt. The scouts located a field of honkers that had fed well past sunset. We’d be shooting Federal BlackCloud – potent medicine for these giant Canada geese. I woke up just before my 4 AM alarm to the sound of light rain on the lodge’s tin roof. It was music to my ears, and I was confident the birds would be hungry from travel and ready to feed.
In the dark, we set up the custom A-frame blind and strategically placed full-body and windsock decoys in a classic J-hook spread. There wasn’t much wind; still, the set would lure the birds across our front for a passing shot. We positioned the setup on a harvest pea field near a large aspen bluff, adding realism by brushing the area in front and behind with aspen branches.
Even with ‘new birds,’ there are sure to be some old timers—birds that have seen it all—and we didn’t want to tip them off to our hide. The ‘trap’ was set.
The rain continued when Clay gave the okay to load; within moments, we spotted the first big honkers on the horizon. Clay honked, clucked and moaned a small flock of six geese to the edge of the spread. They were hungry and locked up for the descent. Wings cupped and landing gear went down. Then we heard the words every hunter loves. “Take ‘em!” Shotguns roared, and six geese fell. Clay’s faithful gundog blazed out and retrieved each bird in turn.
PRIME TIME CONDITIONS
Grey mornings are my favourite conditions for hunting ducks and geese. Flat light eliminates hard shadows, and on this hunt, the light mist muffled the sound of the shotguns. The birds kept coming without hesitation. And by 9 AM, we had a seven-person limit of dark geese. Outstanding results! I liked these ‘new birds!’
Later that evening, as we recounted the morning’s success, we would learn about the hard-hitting shotshell technology inside the shotshells available this week. Federal Ammunition celebrated 100 years of ammunition innovation in 2022, and the company now includes the HEVI-Shot and Remington ammunition lines under its banner. The synergy of these three brands sharing materials, manufacturing, and technology creates premium performance shotshell loads across the company.
A NEW DAY!
Clay guided us to a new field the following morning. Goose droppings and feathers were everywhere, indicating the birds had been using the site. Clear skies and light winds meant a more challenging hunt, and the callers had their work cut out for them. We set up on a knoll about a mile away, but still within view, of a large waterfowl roost.
We watched as small waves of geese lifted from the lake and threaded across the sky. Some responded to the calls and came close enough for a shot. Then, the long-range capabilities of the HEVI-Shot HEVI-XII shotshell proved itself before our eyes.
Someone in our hunting party folded a passing speckle belly goose with a shot that made my jaw drop. Dead in the air, the goose fell from the sky and landed 75 yards from the blind. The morning ended short of a limit but with a deeper understanding of the capabilities of these modern shotshells.
DUCK ON THE MENU
Later that day, we tried our luck on ducks. As we approached the spot, the sky turned black with the ducks lifting off the small borrow pit. The strategy was simple. We set up a blind on the edge of the wetland, added a handful of decoys, and waited for the ducks to return. Singles and pairs trickled in over the next few hours, offering fast-pasted shooting and humbling misses on the lightning-fast ducks. We used HEVI-Bismuth, a non-toxic shot similar in performance to lead. It was effective, and the hunters who found their mark easily crumpled ducks from across the wetland. Our hit percentages were high enough that the dog worked non-stop for the afternoon. We finished as the sun dipped below the horizon, and our thoughts drifted to the hot meal waiting for us back at the lodge.
THE LAST DAY
On the last morning hunt, we found ourselves in a field similar to the one on the first. I worried that the once again bright skies would deceive us, but on this day, the birds cooperated, and the guides pulled out all the stops, expertly calling the geese onto the X. Once again, the ammunition performed superbly, and the big honkers and speckle bellies never knew what hit them.
Parting Thoughts
There are many excellent opportunities for waterfowl hunting in the Canadian prairies. My hunt in the Alberta’s parklands was the trip of a lifetime—well worth the time and effort to get there. I learned that ammunition makes a big difference, and today’s shotshells, through continuing research and development, are far superior to the non-toxic shot of yesteryear. These premium shotshells’ terminal performance was outstanding, providing a bounty of goose and duck meat that would sustain me through the winter days ahead. Good hunting and bon appétit!
SHOTSHELL TECH TALK WITH LOWELL
On this waterfowl hunt we used several new loads from Federal, Remington and HEVI-Shot. With an array of shot sizes, gauges, and velocities, there is a go-to load for every hunter’s needs.
Bismuth is back and is available in loads from all three brands with pellets made by HEVI-Shot. Bismuth is safe for modern and classic waterfowl shotguns because it is softer than steel. It’s 9.6 g/cc pellets allow shooters to drop a shot size from the their go-to steel payload which produces denser patterns. Loads include Federal Premium’s HEVI-Bismuth with the Flitecontrol Flex Wad, HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-Bismuth Waterfowl, and Remington’s Premier Bismuth.
HEVI-Shot’s Hevi-XII uses 12 g/cc high-density pellets. The pellet material is 53.8 percent denser than steel—doubling the downrange energy. Because of its density shooter can drop three shot sizes for the same lethality and 28 percent more pellets on target, The HEVI-XII is available in no. 2, 4 or 6 in 12- and 20-gauge.
Federal Black Cloud set the steel shot performance standard over a decade ago. A Flitecontrol Flex wad tightens patterns through both ported and standard waterfowl chokes. Flitestopper pellets include a band of steel around the waist of the pellet for deeper penetration and increased lethality. Black Cloud is available in several popular gauges and, new for 2023, in 28-guage.